During the presidential debate on June 27, 2024, President Joe Biden claimed that the Border Patrol officers endorsed him and his position on immigration.
“By the way, the Border Patrol men endorsed me, endorsed my position,” the president said.
A VERIFY reader asked us if that’s true.
THE QUESTION
Did the Border Patrol Union endorse President Biden?
THE SOURCES
- Border Patrol Union’s X account
- Press releases from the Border Patrol Union, Kyrsten Sinema and the Trump campaign
- Capital Research Center, a think tank that investigates how nonprofits spend money on politics and advocacy
THE ANSWER
No, the Border Patrol Union did not endorse President Biden. However, the Border Patrol Union did endorse a bipartisan border security bill the Biden administration negotiated with Republicans.
WHAT WE FOUND
The Border Patrol Union, which is also called the National Border Patrol Council, has not endorsed President Biden. The union has frequently been critical of the Biden administration and endorsed former President Donald Trump in previous elections.
The union has not officially endorsed a candidate yet in 2024.
After Biden claimed during the debate that Border Patrol officers endorsed him, the Border Patrol Union made a post to X to deny Biden’s assertion.
“To be clear, we never have and never will endorse Biden,” the Border Patrol Union said.
In February, the Border Patrol Union endorsed a bipartisan border security deal that the White House negotiated with Republicans in Congress. Biden likely was referring to this endorsement when he said the officers endorsed his position.
However, the Border Patrol Union has otherwise been critical of not just Biden’s border security policies, but Biden in general. The Border Patrol Union’s posts to X are frequently critical of Biden while praising Trump.
According to the Capital Research Center, a think tank that investigates how nonprofits spend money on politics and advocacy, the Border Patrol Union is known for having conservative views.
The Border Patrol Union’s support for Trump does not mean that Border Patrol members unanimously support Trump; the Capital Research Center notes a few instances where some Border Patrol officers opposed the union’s endorsements for the former president.
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